Video content may be consumed on different devices in a variety of environments through any of a variety of services. This has freed the video consumer (hereinafter, the user) to enjoy content on whatever user video device they would like, in a wide range of settings. User video devices may include, for example and without limitation, televisions, set-top boxes, digital video recorders and players, desktop computers, laptops, netbooks, tablet computers, smartphones, and wearable computing devices. Video may be consumed by playback of recorded or downloaded content, by streaming, or through other processes. However, the video consumption experience is not always seamless and sometimes sacrifices a consistent high quality experience across the range of devices. This inconsistency may be a result of the device's processing power, the integration of the technology on the device, the age of the firmware of the device, or any of a host of other reasons.
One way to address the quality and consistency issues it through a certification process. A user video device typically includes a variety of technology in the form of hardware, software, and/or firmware. For example, this technology may be delivered by a provider in the form of source code and libraries to a video device manufacturer or component manufacturer, e.g., to any party that provides integrated circuits (ICs), original design manufacturing (ODM), or original equipment manufacturing (OEM), or that integrates such technology into chips or user video devices. After integration is completed, the user video device may be submitted for certification. Here, a user video device is run through a number of tests to verify that the technology is integrated correctly, providing a level of assurance of interoperability across certified devices.
This model is based on a user video device being certified a single time with a specific configuration of hardware, firmware, and/or software, and considering a limited number of use cases for consuming video. However, user video devices are now frequently being upgraded, e.g., Android smartphones getting upgraded operating systems, where a user video device may change significantly after it has been certified. Likewise, there are now digital televisions and DVD players that are regularly receiving new firmware versions. In addition, there are now a large variety of use cases to consider, where different use cases may result in different levels of interoperability and different levels of quality in the user experience. For example, consuming video from local file playback, adaptive streaming, or in a Digital Living Network Alliance (DNLA) setting may all have different results for the user.
In the drawings, the leftmost digit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawing in which the reference number first appears.